Cal football recruiting needs are many

atomsareenough: 1. Defensive backs, obviously. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing us pick up like 6 or 7 DBs if that were possible. Obviously if we got a big, athletic safety along the lines of a Shaq Thompson or Su'a Cravens, that would be great, but I don't know if they're out there, and if they were I doubt they'd come to Cal right now anyway. But that would be ideal, if we're talking wishlist. We are so,so depleted in the secondary right now.

2. D-linemen. Can somebody get a pass rush up in here? Please? If our depleted secondary wasn't having a hard enough time as it was, the utter lack of a pass rush means that the opposing QB now gets all day to sit in the pocket and completely pick them apart. We simply must start pressuring the QB if we're going to have an effective pass defense. Anyway, if Jacobi Hunter can play as a true freshmen, maybe we can get a few more early contributors, or perhaps some JC guys to shore things up on the D-line. Getting Scarlett, Jalil, and perhaps Sina back would help too, but I don't know how much we should be counting on them right now.

3. O-linemen. Boy, I sure miss having a run game. I also hope poor Jared Goff isn't suffering from PTSD after getting pummeled so many times due to crummy pass protection. Maybe guys like Bunte, Borrayo, and the Cochrans will turn out okay in a year or so, but any offense needs a constant supply good linemen to be successful.

Norcalnick: Honestly, what this year has taught me is that you need balance. Sure, I would love us to take 7 cornerbacks/safeties that could contribute immediately. But if that means that we only get to take 1 or 2 defensive linemen, then I'd be against it.

As much as we want to see immediate gains, the next recruiting class will really matter 2, 3 or 4 years down the line. And so when we only take 2 defensive backs in a class, and one of them never gets to campus because of academics . . . well, that's how we get into a situation three years later where Cal has to just throw any warm body into the secondary just to have 11 guys on the field.

So, I want to see at least 3-4 players from every unit on the field, and I want to see players that will actually get to campus in the fall. And if that recruiting class just happens to include some very highly rated offensive linemen and defensive backs, then all the better.